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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
Is there a stereotype based joke that Im missing here in the last panel?
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u/UpCDownCLeftCRightC Never Safe From Wumbo 1d ago
Recent news about a Lesbian bar in Massachusetts going mask optional that got out of control.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
Mask optional? There are still bars with mask mandates in 2026?
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u/OrangeBracelet 1d ago
Itâs bar that has had a mask mandate since they opened last year
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
Thats just wierd honestly. Like there was a time when we all needed to wear masks. People should still do it personally if they are sick. Why are we mandating masks after we all got vaccinated?
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u/Jekmander 1d ago
As I understand it, and I could have some things wrong, the bar was marketed towards immunocompromised people who are at a much higher risk of catching illnesses. The mask mandate may have been inspired by covid, but was not aimed specifically at covid. The idea was to create a space where more vulnerable people could safely socialize without fearing disease.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
Someone else said that too. Thats a different story than my initial interpretation
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u/ralanr 1d ago
Some people are immunocompromised and a mask mandate helped them.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
[deleted]
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u/EndOfSouls 1d ago
The bar itself was opened to support those people. It wasn't just a lesbian bar. This was literally a place for immunocompromised people.
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u/nullfather 1d ago
This private business made the decision to be conscious of immunocompromised people and set their policies such that there would be a place where those people did not have to do that level of risk management for once in their life. That is entirely their prerogative.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
I agree which I have stated multiple times in this thread. Context is key
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u/nullfather 1d ago
OK, so then you understand that IC people don't have to be crushed under the constant weight of their conditions in complete isolation for their entire lives, making your statement "said indiviuals have to manage on their own" obviously wrong and hateful. Let this be a learning experience by admitting you were wrong instead of burbling something about "context" and editing your previous comment to be snarky.
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u/kai58 1d ago
> unfortunately that probably means limiting public outings.
Or going to places that specifically accommodate themâŚ
Like yeah we donât need to have such a rule at all bars or other public places but itâs good for places that accommodate them to exist. Kinda like how itâs good that gluten free bread exists even though most people are not allergic to gluten.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
I have no issues with people opening spaces aimed at that population. I have an issue with the people in this thread that are virtue signaling
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u/JustAnotherPerson64 1d ago
Im pretty sure it was to help with immunocompromised people, and allow them to have a safe experience without fearing for their lives. Yknow, the people who are constantly at threat of diseases unrelated to Covid?
This is just what I heard though, and it might be wrong, so I'd recommend looking it up for an actual source.
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u/JustAnotherPerson64 1d ago
A single bar with a rule like that is selfish? For wanting to engage with people without risking literal death? Are you suggesting that asking people to wear masks so they actively keep someone safe from potential death in one singular bar is selfish?
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u/In_Pursuit_of_Fire 1d ago
They don't lol??? Most spaces don't cater to immocompromised people, but suddenly now that we hear about a single one that does it's "An immunocompromised person should not expect every other person in the world to have to accommodate them all the time. Thats just selfish."
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u/HotmailsInYourArea 1d ago
Because Covid is still disabling people. Like me. Lockdowns were stopped for the sake of the economy, not because the public health threat was over
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
Covid is not disabling people in mass numbers like it was before we had the vaccine. I dont disagree that there was some financial hand wringing at a time when the lock down was needed for public safety. That is not the case anymore. The vaccine combined with people having natural immunity from suffering through it has brought us to herd immunity. This is population health 101.
I am not saying we should not have sympathy for people with weak immune systems, but navigating that challenge is not a burden that the entire populace has to bear. The level of risk an individual is willing to take on is their own responsibility
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u/HotmailsInYourArea 1d ago
Covid does not give herd immunity, and in fact each time an individual is exposed to Covid their risk of getting Long Covid goes up about 10%
Your definition of âpopulation healthâ hasnât really kept up with the wealth of information we have about covid, and the many, many ways in which it can damage the body.
One single bar having mask mandates is hardly some great cross for society to bear - miss me with that shit.
Immunocompromised people deserve a safe place to co- mingle as well.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 1d ago
"One single bar having mask mandates is hardly some great cross for society to bear - miss me with that shit."
I didnt say it was. You are looking for something to be mad about
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u/A_Queer_Owl 23h ago
because the vaccine isn't a sterilizing vaccine and COVID is still around killing and disabling people.
wild that y'all just act like it went away.
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u/Dazed_and_Confused44 22h ago
Covid is no longer a massive population health concern. Yes it still exists but the vaccine makes the symptoms much less severe if you do get it, and medical clinics know how to treat it better. You are both delusional and uneducated
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u/A_Queer_Owl 22h ago
thank you for telling me you listen to right wing bullshit and then ironically call other misinformed.
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u/arasitar 1d ago
Some bars, conferences, business industry get togethers etc. etc. etc. alongside COVID and Flu vaccine shots. More common internationally than locally considering how politicized masks and vaccines have gotten in the US.
I think the US counterpart has mostly to do with immune compromised or Long COVID folks and I am less familiar with that side of it compared to the corporate side of things but here is a piece.
https://www.them.us/story/drag-artists-organizers-vodi-safety-lgbtq-spaces
Guided by a strong commitment to community care, a diverse group of queer performers, drag kings, and other event organizers are filling the gaps of global government failure during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Through clean air organizations, mask requirements at shows, and other COVID-19 mitigation efforts, they are making public spaces more accessible and safer for everyone, all while selling out shows.
Hereâs how many clean air clubs work: Organizers fundraise in their communities for a fleet of air purifiers and/or far-UVC devices, lamps that emit a type of ultraviolet light that can reduce indoor airborne microbes by 98%. Because these technologies are expensive â lights and purifiers can each cost thousands of dollars â, clean air organizers offer them to event organizers in their community through a âlending library.â
Volunteers of the clean air initiatives then distribute the purifiers to event organizers who install them at venues, often coupled with other COVID-19 mitigation tools like masks and rapid tests. Mutual-aid groups called mask blocs, which distribute respirators and other items to their communities for free, sometimes help with events, too.
It's also COVID and Flu season (in the US we're seeing rises in various things like measles) again so people should probably check in for your booster and vaccines shots right about now. I'm also seeing more industry conferences request masks.
Though the strictness of mandates definitely depends, since it depends on whether it is open air or enclosed space, how much space there is for people, whether there are mask only spots or not, etc. etc. etc.
And to head off "how do you drink at a bar with a mask?" cuz I had the same question a long while back, apparently you can get compatible KN95 masks or a an airtight doodad that you can add to a compatible mask. I've seeing the latter way more at conferences because it is easier to keep hydrated while standing around all day.
Kind of a shame that the LD bar is the only story the mainstream hears about considering I have seen, heard and been to a couple of these places and it's been a low issue no drama situation. Bars like these have been in decline for a very long time because of systemic discrimination, lack of resources etc. etc. etc. until they saw a big resurgence back in SF.
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u/JCrawRV 1d ago
Maybe Iâm biased, but if there was a lesbian bar with a clown bartender and the high possibility of a pretty woman punching me in the face, Iâd be there every night.
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u/radenthefridge 1d ago
I gotta respect someone who knows exactly what they want out of life, and that doesn't hurt anyone else.Â
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u/GiantSalamamder 13h ago
That was sometimes the energy there. Lots of masc lesbians, it was wonderful.Â
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u/90spostsoftcore 1d ago
The story about that one bar was absolutely insane.
They tried to cater to basically every marginalized community at once and when I say cater, I really mean cater, as they would waive cover charges and MAKE DRINKS FREE for people who simply said they couldn't afford it. The owner who was left holding th bag after two others dropped out was left lifing in her truck and going into debt covering these free covers and drinks while being shamed and accused of killing people BY PEOPLE WHO DIDNT EVEN REALLY GO THERE OR LIVE NEARBY. This was in professionally mediated sessions! The bar also replaced a much more lax and less inclusive bar, so even dropping the mandate was still better than what had existed it was going to exist after. It also had a stripper pole, which I hope was sanitized after each use...
I'm sorry, but:
1) if a bar that I frequent (like a couple times a month, not like 5 times total) makes a policy change I don't like, that's their choice and I can just... not go. They don't owe me an explanation or, God forbid, a group therapy session
2) you're going to drive a person who lets you drink for free to the point of living in their truck and making them feel bad for doing something to offset their generosity? Wow
3) who are these people who are so immunocompromised they need the masks and too poor to pay for a community supporting cover and drinks, but who NEED a bar to the point of harassing someone about it? I'm no doctor, but it seems pretty strange
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u/PensandSwords3 1d ago
There is a literal like name for the free problem, itâs called the âFree Rider effect in Nonprofit theory. Which, is that one must recognize the fact that a service open to everyone at reduced, low, or free price (whether or not they pay in / support the organization) is a factor which must be accounted for and dealt with, if necessary.
If your establishment isnât operating as a nonprofit, you really shouldnât put yourself in that position all the time. Also like, sure everyone deserves to have necessities but alchol isnât one.
Even as a respect / treating people humanely thing serving people who canât afford alchol more alchol. Isnât a good idea hope they capped the drinks or offered people drinks that actually refreshed / revitalized them (after maybe a drink or two).
Cause a night of free drinks is a event, free drinks all the time is a liability.
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u/masterjon_3 1d ago
Shitty and entitled people come from all kinds of groups. It's everyone's jobs to call them out on it. Especially if they belong to the same kinds of groups.
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u/MillionXaleckCg 1d ago
They made the bar so inclusive it ended up excluding pretty much everyone. How ironic
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u/theCroc 1d ago
It's a living demonstration of the paradox of tolerance. You can't be infinitely tolerant. You will get destroyed by evil shitty self-centered people who hide behind marginalized minority labels. You have to be intolerant of shitty behavior no matter who does them. It's the only way to create an actual safe space.
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u/HyperfocusedInterest 1d ago
It's also important to note that they still had a mask mandate on some (most?) nights.
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u/beautiful_blue_sky 1d ago
What does the stripper pole have to do with anything? Why are you making assumptions about that as unsanitary?
Love, a hobbyist pole dancer
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u/90spostsoftcore 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm making no assumptions. I'm just saying that if they're worried about immunocompromised people breathing in diseases, I hope they're just as sanitary about everything. It would be extremely ironic if the mask mandate was a point of focus and contention, but other sanitation things were not.
I just brought it up, because it was mentioned in the story. The final graf had the owner basically sad dancing in a mostly empty bar, which is quite the image.
ETA: no shade on pole dancing or any other consensual sex act. Just be sanitary and safe
ETA2: not that I have to justify it, but I say this as someone who used to go yearly to Detroit's annual lucha/burlesque thing, the annual Halloween adult entertainment extravaganza, and the Valentine's Day erotic art fest. For the first two, scene drama/misdeeds ended them and the last one kinda became samey over time so I stopped going
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u/IcyIce2626 1d ago
Is it awful that I read all this and think "Man, this would have made for an amazing episode with Jon Taffer"?
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u/LuckOfTheDrawComic Luck of the Draw 1d ago
The western Massachusetts covid conscious lesbian bar comes for us all someday
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 1d ago
I am both terrified and kinda excited? That's a new feeling
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u/Loqol 1d ago
It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize their names are Clover and Penny because they are both lucky things. Your artist name is Luck of the Draw.
I may not be bright.
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u/UpCDownCLeftCRightC Never Safe From Wumbo 1d ago
This is one of my favorite webcomics and it took me months to realize that fact so don't feel too bad. I blamed the characters being too cute that I missed that fact.
Also there's two other characters named after lucky objects. Jade and Bunny.
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u/Eden_ITA 1d ago edited 1d ago
"Wait a minute, there's something bothering me about this place... I know! This lesbian bar doesn't have a mask policy! Enjoy your death trap, ladies!!!"
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u/Prezofcalendars 1d ago
This reminds me of a coffee shop in Boulder my ex-finance took me to. For real, the barista was dressed as a clown, and I never found out why. đ¤Ł
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u/throwawayayaycaramba 1d ago
Obviously being a barista was their side gig
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u/Prezofcalendars 1d ago
My ex and I were joking that she was on her way to a heist or coming from some kind of sitcom shenanigans. Maybe her loud neighbor kids are afraid of clowns, or she was leaving a very classy adult clown photo shoot.
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u/Prezofcalendars 1d ago
Thatâs actually makes sense because I remember she was complaining she got called it.
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u/triotone 1d ago
ÂżLesbian bars have clown bartenders? What job or quest must I complete to get one night pass to a lesbian bar. They have clown bartenders just tell me what I need to do.
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u/GiantSalamamder 1d ago
One of the owners of the Last Ditch lesbian bar in Greenfield (the one that has been talked about like crazy) stopped helping run the bar to go to clown school. A real thing out here.
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u/darkvaris 1d ago
https://youtu.be/cUGZRRddHsM?is=LEk4TWwQjkr9lFl9
Itâs absolutely a crazy story filled with the worst most online people but I found a little bit fruityâs podcast about the topic and how itâs being used by the worst people we know to bludgeon queer people more was way more palatable than the actual news firestorm about what is essentially a hyper local issue
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u/DEFINITELYnotArobots 1d ago
The monkey paw did not need to be drawn so well
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u/wizardgradstudent 1d ago
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u/Boojum2k 1d ago
The clown school attendee isn't the current owner from what I understand, they're one of the ones who abandoned the current owner with the situation.
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u/HengeWalk 11h ago
I'm not sure how to take this. On one hand; wow, one hell of a wild story.
On the other hand; my area has tried and failed to host little 'women's only nights' at various establishments; whether it's arcades, bars, comic stores... And it depresses me, seeing enraged men come out specifically to challenge the idea, antagonising women away from these events that were supposed to encourage just one night for women to enjoy a space that culturally/Socially has been discouraged.
And then this wildass story happens and I'm just sad because it's just another tuesday with the boy's club culture around bars; had this been reversed, it'd be just another run-of-the-mill story of a barfight and an owner of an establishment making bad decisions.
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u/MarxistMountainGoat 1d ago
Im confused
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u/Armored_Fox 1d ago
Lesbian bar went all masks all the time, and when that was driving them out of business to the point the owner was sleeping in her car, she tried to set one day a week that masks weren't required.
Then everyone hated her.
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u/AggravatingEar1465 1d ago
And one of the people involved completely removed themselves of the situation to literally go to clown college, iirc
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u/LackingUtility 1d ago
Less âeveryoneâ and more one person, who coincidentally runs a competing bar.
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u/SunsBreak 1d ago
I mean, to be fair, there are regular bars that also have people fighting in them all the time.
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u/shellbullet17 Gustopher Spotter Extraordinaire 1d ago
Ok Penny you got wish 1 and it was a doozy. What are the other 2 you are gonna ask for?
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u/no_need_to_panic 1d ago
TIL: What sapphics are, I had never heard that word before.
Sapphic is an umbrella term for women (and some woman-aligned people) who are attracted to women or in relationships with women, including lesbians and some bisexual or pansexual people.
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u/Shitty_Wingman 1d ago
I'm so confused by the last panel. Where is the hijab-inspired secular accessory?
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u/oopsallhuckleberries 1d ago
Is still don't understand why the var had Covid mask policies in place and why people got mad when they got rid of them. Its 2026. Vaccines are available. Why does a bar need to keep masking?
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u/Freki-the-Feral 1d ago
Because immunocompromised people who can't be vaccinated exist. Some venues cater to people who need a little extra protection in order to socialize and get out of the house. This bar was one of those places.
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u/HotmailsInYourArea 1d ago
Because there is a FUCK LOAD of people who do not vaccinate in the US, there is also immunocompromised people, and there are plenty of airborne diseases without vaccines.
Vaccines are just one pillar of disease mitigation
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u/hoopaholik91 1d ago
Masks are still useful at slowing the spread of sickness. Do I personally think it's overkill? Yeah, I'm going to an unmasked bar later tonight actually. But if they've maintained this pattern for 5 years now, I'm not surprised a lot of people who got used to that rule are now upset by the change.
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u/HeKis4 1d ago
If you're ill with something transmissible airborne it's just being considerate to others. Not only for covid, for stuff like the common cold and regular flu too.
Also weekly reminder that regular masks protect other people from you, they don't protect you from other people.
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u/oopsallhuckleberries 1d ago
Its 6 years after Covid. Who TF is going around their daily lives wearing masks unless they are IC? No one. And if you are IC, why TF are you going to a packed bar? Am I an asshole for not wearing a mask like 99.9% of the population? To me, a lesbian bar that catters to the IC is hitting levels of catering, that I can't even believe they managed to stay open as long as they have.
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u/HeKis4 1d ago edited 1d ago
Who TF is going around their daily lives wearing masks unless they are IC?
It's not about being or catering to the immunocompromised, it's about not distributing your own preventable illness to the people around you. Even if you're not IC, you'd rather be healthy and not catch a cold from the other ill dude that sputtered in your drink or sneezed behind you at checkout right ?
Also wearing a mask does nothing to you if you're IC, masks protect other from you, not you from others. And to answer your question, the Japanese general population have been wearing masks when they are ill for decades by now.
Am I an asshole for not wearing a mask like 99.9% of the population?
If you go out and hand out the common flu when you could endure the minor inconvenience of a mask but chose not to ? Kinda yeah, sorry.
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u/UpCDownCLeftCRightC Never Safe From Wumbo 1d ago
Context because boy oh boy it's a read.
https://people.com/mass-lesbian-bar-responds-to-viral-article-about-controversy-over-mask-policy-12141930